Partners In Crime
by Symphonic Fantasia
Summary: There meeting was by chance. They never expected them to be at the same bank while they planned to rob it. They certainly never expected to team up or for their partnership to end up like this. (Western AU)


**Author's Notes: ****I feel like this ending is a little rusty. Now, I usually wouldn't post any AUs of these two unless it was a dream, but this has been itching me for a while now. Had to be done.  
**

**Disclaimer: Yadda yadda. Don't own. You know the drill.  
**

* * *

_The day they had meet was a strange one. The odds of them meeting on that day and at that moment were slim. He never expected to meet her at the bank he was going to rob. He surely never expected to meet her right after she robbed it herself! He was after it for the money; she was after the jewels. When they ran into each other, there was no time for the bank to be robbed a second time. Instead, he helped her escape. He had been observing the town for weeks, planning all of his escape routes; she looked like she just arrived, found what she was looking for, and proceeded to rob it. With a firm grip on her wrist, he led her down one of his many escape routes, dodging the sheriff with each turn they made._

_They ran and ran until they were on the outskirts of town, the small place now just a speck down the hill. He had his horse picketed there and that was where they rested. Staring down at the town and then at each other, they laughed. She fell back, her dress bunching around her thighs to reveal a pair of shorts and a holster strapped to her leg. He pulled his hat further down his head, trying to conceal his laughter. There was no point in hiding it though. The outcome was hilarious. Once they had ceased their laughter, she stood up and straightened her skirt. As payment for aiding her, she offered at least half of the jewels she had taken. Of course he had taken them, but he also offered her a ride to her next destination. A girl with a heavy bag wandering around the wastelands would surely draw attention. When they reached the next town and sold their jewels, they fully intended to split up._

_But they didn't._

_They weren't sure of what drew them to one another, but there was something there. Why ruin something that was good for them? They both knew how to use a gun. She was quick on her feet while he was quick to plan ahead. Together, they would be unstoppable._

_They had been traveling ever since._

The sound of a gun firing roused her from her sleep. She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them slowly, blocking the sun from hurting her anymore than it already was. She rolled onto her stomach and found the silver haired outlaw firing away at a couple of cans from last nights dinner. He was always one to practice day and night. Herself, on the other hand, practiced occasionally and left it all up to lady luck.

He noticed her away and tipped his hat to her. "Mornin'."

"Morning..." she replied, sitting up to stretch. The horses nearby snorted, restless at having to stand there all night and most of yesterday. They had to stop for a while to give them a break. They were already pushing them harder than they should have just to try and get to the next town. Luckily, it was now just a speck on the horizon. They would be able to make it there by nightfall. If both of them were going, that is. "When are you heading out?"

"Soon. Anythin' you need while I'm there?" he asked, reloading his gun and putting it back in the holster at his hip.

She shook her head. "Just food for us and the horses. Water too. How long does it take for you to figure out an escape plan?"

"A couple of days. I need to make sure each one is perfect and I can only run them myself at night. So you'll be alone out here for a couple of days. You think you can survive that?"

"I think I can."

"Good." He walked over to their bags and grabbed his canteen. Before he could even take five steps out of the campsite-

"Vaughn." She ran her fingers through her hair as he turned to look at her. "Be careful."

Vaughn nodded and started for the town once again.

The bank was secured shut. No matter where he went, he couldn't find any soft spots. This made him a bit nervous. If it was impossible to get in, then they were really wasting their time here. It stunk, but there was nothing more he could do. Vaughn took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated. If he looked even harder, he might be able to find it but the longer he stayed there without bothering to do anything with a teller, the more suspicious he looked. His eyes wandered around the establishment. It was crowded but not so much. It made him wonder why. The town didn't seem like it's residents could have enough money to store in a bank. Then again, by the look of the people in the place, with their fancy dresses and clothes, it looked like a bunch of rich people.

"Impressive." Knowing that there were rich people here made sense on how tough the security of the place was. The sheriffs eyes were wandering around, looking at anyone suspicious. Quite a few times his eyes landed on Vaughn. He was probably memorizing his face just in case he was the type of person to rob a bank. The sheriff's worries would be in the right place. It was a shame that it wouldn't do him any good. Gwen was the one who went after the money and disappeared. She was the brute force while he was the brain. Truly an unstoppable team, in his honest opinion.

He took a step closer to one of the other dressed up woman in the place, hoping to make it seem like he was her bodyguard. Anything to get this man from looking at him. Soon, the sheriff disappeared to another part of the bank, people blocking him from his vision. With a small sigh of relief, he continued looking around. Finally, he saw it. It was just a little leeway, but it was something. With a happy grin, he made his way out of the bank, pulling his hat further down his head. Now he needed an escape route out of town.

The rest of the day and well into the evening was spent coming up with various escape routes. He needed as many as possible to make sure that Gwen could get out alive and safely without having to drop the money. He didn't think they had much to worry about with how quick she was, but one could never be too careful. Once he was done, he made his way back to the campsite. Gwen lay on her back, her leg dangling over her other leg. There was a pot hanging over the fire, simmering dinner. "How was your day?"

"Boring as all hell." Gwen rolled onto her stomach, leaving her hat on the ground. "And yours?"

He shrugged and sat down on the ground. "Eventful. Found the bank has top security but it shouldn't be a problem for you. Found at least five escape routes. Think you can learn them all?"

She grinned. "Of course~. I should be alright. ...But...do _you_ think I'll be alright?"

That was always an important question. He wasn't always confident that she could get the job done. Vaughn knew that she was fast, but there was a chance that others could be faster. One wrong move and she'll be in jail. Once she was in there, there was no way that Vaughn would be able to bail her out. Mainly because he refused to. He wasn't going to put his neck on the line like that. "I'm sure you can if you follow my directions without a problem. Alright?"

She nodded, rising to sit on her knees. "So, tell me the plan." As he ate, Vaughn explained the paths that she should take to the bank, how to get in, which vaults to take from, and which paths to take to escape. She had to hear it a few more times before she could finally remember it, but once she did, she was confident that she would be able to succeed. "It sounds simple enough."

"Well, it ain't," the cowboy snapped, glaring down at the woman. "This place is ten times tougher to even stand in. That sheriff stared at me like he knew what I was up to. If he's there, you need to be ten times more careful. Do you understand?"

Gwen grimaced and returned his glare. "If you think I'm incompetent, then do it yourself."

"I didn't say you were incompetent." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "All I'm sayin' is you need to be careful. This is a bigger heist than what we've pulled, together or alone. Alright?"

He sounded serious. She didn't get a chance to check the place out herself so she couldn't tell if he had a good reason or not. For now, she would just have to take his word for it. What more could she do? "Fine."

"Good. Now, get some rest. I'll wake you in a few hours." The blonde nodded and crawled towards the rolled out blanket, dragging her hat with her. It was only a matter of minutes when she covered her face with her hat and went to sleep. Vaughn sighed again and poked at the fire. He would have to sleep soon, himself. He would need to prepare the horses for when they would have to get out of there. They took a long time to get here and pushed the horses to their limits. He hoped that they would be able to handle it just a little while longer.

Laying on his back, he looked up at the stars, counting away the hours until it was time to wake Gwen up.

The hairs on the back of his neck were standing. The sirens in the town were going off like wildfire and Gwen was still nowhere to be found. Vaughn didn't want to imagine that she was caught. If she was, then that was the end of their pact. She would be stuck in jail for who knows how long. Then again, maybe she would get off easy since she was a woman. He tightened his hand on the other horses reigns, pulling the horse carefully beside him. They would wait a little while longer. If she didn't show up in the next half hour, he was gone.

Before the time ran out, he saw a familiar blonde bob running towards him. Perfect. She was on her way. He spurred the horses forward, meeting Gwen half way. She had at least three bags filled with money in her hands. With Vaughn's help, she tied them to the horses and pulled herself up into the saddle. "Let's get going!"

The horses responded to their kicks to their sides and took off away from the town. The horses labored breathing worried them as they rode through the wasteland as far away from the town as possible. Vaughn looked behind them every mile or so to make sure they weren't being followed. The sun was high in the sky by the time he deemed them safe enough. They pulled the horses to a stop and let them rest for the time being. Gwen grabbed one of the bags of money and thew it to her partner as he slide off his saddle.

Vaughn weighed the bag in his hand, bouncing it up and down. It felt heavy but was it enough? He wasn't sure. He sure hoped that it was enough after their struggle to get it. He grabbed the other four bags and sat on his own, his horse following him. While Vaughn count the money a best as he could, hidden by steed, Gwen set up camp so that they could eat some lunch. Vaughn was down with two bags when Gwen came by with a jar of beans.

He sneered at it. "I'm sick of beans."

"Well, get over it," she retorted, ready to drop it in his lap. He grabbed it before she could though. "Maybe the next town we go to, we'll actually get some supplies instead of robbing the joint."

"Mm." Vaughn continued to count the money, eating the beans every so often. His stomach was hurting by the time he finished and he appreciated that he was. At least then, he would be able to sleep the pain off, hopefully. He stood up and made his way back to Gwen, who was stoking the fire they had. "You got a lot. Good job."

Gwen game him a smug look. "As if there was any doubt~."

"There was."

She huffed, but paid him no mind. "Well, I don't think we should rob the next few places. We need supplies plus we don't want to get too cocky."

She had a point. It was only a matter of time before someone finally figured it out and started putting wanted posters of them up. It would be a good idea to take a break for a while. "Fair enough. We'll take the next three towns as our break from robbing towns."

"Thank you."

They rested for a while, wanting to give the horses a chance to rest as well. Vaughn grabbed their canteen of water and gave them what he could. Until the next town or rainfall, they were rationing their portions of water. The horses would need more and they were their only means of travel, so they didn't mind sacrificing their own drink for them. He ran a hand over his horses back, waiting as Gwen packed up camp. She tried the blankets and equipment to their saddles, making sure they were nice and tight. "Do you think we should plan a hideout?"

Vaughn grimaced at that idea. His partnership with Gwen was only temporary. He didn't plan on it going for this long and honestly, he wasn't expecting it to last long either. He would cut it off now, but there was a lot of money hidden everywhere that they had stolen. A hideout would be a good place to store money, but it wouldn't work for this partnership. "I don't know."

"Oh, come on. What's the worse that could happen?"

_I shoot you and take all of the money_ he thought to himself. It was the worse that could happen. The best would be that he just runs off with the money. "I guess."

"Good. Then we should look for one on the way."

Vaughn watched as Gwen pulled herself up onto her horse and already set out for their next destination. The idea of robbing Gwen of her share of their hard work seemed horrible to him, but he quickly got over it. It was a survival of the fittest in this world. If Gwen couldn't handle it or put up with how harsh the world was, then maybe she did deserve to die. He grabbed his horse and pulled himself into his saddle, following the cowgirl and her horse.

He wouldn't make his move yet. When he did though, Gwen had better watch out.

The next town they came to was smaller than the last one. It didn't have a bank or anything worthy of robbing, so they wouldn't be tempted to do the wrong thing. They'll be able to get their supplies and not even bother with stealing from the small place. They had their bags hidden beneath their blankets and supplies. So long as they didn't mess up and cause the bags to fall, they would be alright. Gwen flipped her hair over her shoulder as they rode through town, looking around for a place to find buy what they needed. When they finally found one, Vaughn was the one who got off his horse. "I'll get the supplies. You go look for a place for us to rest."

She nodded and trotted away with both the horses. He patted his pocket, double checking that he had the money for the supplies, before walking into the shop. It was quiet. Only a few people were their with the shop keeper. They were muttering and talking about something, something that he couldn't be bothered to listen or pay attention to. He grabbed a few items from the shelves. Food for themselves, the horses, and some other things. When he reached the counter, he was then able to hear what they were talking about.

"Those woman struck again!"

"I heard! She just keeps taking all that she can!"

"Well, it's a good thing she won't come here. There's nothing worth while here. It's just so plain and boring, according to the young ones."

Vaughn rolled his eye at the conversation. Such gossipers. He could only imagine how they would act if they knew that he was aiding the one they were talking about. Heads would roll if they did. "Excuse me. Do you mind if I paid?" The other two stepped aside, allowing him to step forward and pay for his things. He was done and walked out of the store carrying the things as much as possible. If there was an inn nearby, he knew Gwen would be there. All he had to do was look for it.

He struggled to look over the bags but when he did, he found Gwen riding towards him. "We have to go," she said, sliding the horses to a stop.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"They apparently say my face and put sketches out of me."

He face grew pale. "What?!" Vaughn couldn't understand it. How could it have happened? If Gwen was as careful as she said she was, then it shouldn't have. Something had to have gone wrong while he was waiting. She had to be keeping something from him.

"Can we not talk about it now?!" she snapped, grabbing some of the supplies from his arms. "We have to go. Now!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He tossed the rest of the supplies onto his horse and climbed into the saddle. Once they were secured and held onto the new inventory tightly, they dug their heels into their horses and rode off out of town. They continued to ride away from it until it was no more than a speck on the horizon. By then, the horses were exhausted and had slowed to a stop, unable to go on. They slid out of their saddles and relieved them of the weight on their backs. They deserved a hard earned rest.

"Think we got out in time?" Gwen questioned, watching as Vaughn looked out at the direction they had just come from.

Vaughn squinted along the horizon, watching it carefully. With every movement he saw, he was ready to jump on his horse and run. Let Gwen get caught for all he cared. There was more money hidden around the world then what they had with them at the moment. He could continue to do thing on his own after that. "Doesn't seem like that."

She sighed in relief and sat down in the dirt. "Thank God..."

He huffed and took his hat off. It still didn't make sense to him. How could they have seen her? More importantly, why would they immediately assume that they had a connection to one another? Unless Gwen screwed up, there was no way they could have been caught. Perhaps they have gotten too predictable? No, that couldn't be it. Vaughn was careful in making sure that never happened. Then again, one could never be sure. It could honestly be anything. He looked over at Gwen who was setting up camp. He would have to ask her eventually.

"What did you do wrong?"

Gwen looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

He turned on her, moving to rest on one knee. "What. Did. You. Do. Wrong?" Each word he spat out was filled with venom. She scooted further away from him just in case he lashed out at her. "Answer me, Gwen."

"I didn't do anything wrong! I did exactly what you told me and took the exact routes you deemed safe!" she snapped, moving to sit on her knees. "If anyone should be feeling guilty, it's you! How could you get your face seen like that? What's the point of having that hat if you don't use it to protect yourself?!"

Vaughns hand twitched. It was taking all his strength to not reach out and slap her across the face. He wanted to. He really did, but he was going to refrain as much as possible. It would only last for so long though. They stared at one another for a long time before Gwen stood up and walked away to the horses. He wouldn't be slapping her today. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed heavily through his nose.

"I think it's time we stopped," he muttered.

Gwen looked at him, watching his body movements. He was stiff and stared off into nothing. He seemed serious and distant all of a sudden. "Fine by me."

"You sure you're alright with it?" He didn't even look at her when he asked.

She nodded her head and fiddled with the brim of her hat. "Yes. I'm sure."

He nodded in returned. They were in agreement which was all he wanted. With them in agreement, he could get his half of the money and leave. Just like he wanted. "We'll start tomorrow. Bright and early. We'll count the money, split it, and be on our separate ways."

"Sounds good."

They were silent as they set up camp for the night. It wasn't late but they wanted to preserve their energy and let the horses rest. It was only a matter of time before they would drop dead from exhaustion. They needed to avoid that as much as possible. Even through the setup and through dinner, they didn't talk to one another. There was nothing more to say. Their partnership was over so it was best to remain quiet. When they parted ways, they would say their goodbyes. If they had any for the other.

"How much deeper is it?"

"Just keep digging. We buried it pretty deep so no dogs would dig it up."

Vaughn growled in frustration as he continued to push the shovel into the dirt. They were on the fifth abandoned farm they hid their money at. One of them wasn't abandoned and gave them a bit of problem, but the others were smooth sailing. This one would have if Gwen and him hadn't buried it so deep within the earth. They were protecting it from being taken by anyone else.

He finally hit something hard and sighed in relief. Tossing the shovel up to Gwen, Vaughn grabbed the box they had buried and pulled it up out of the floor. He pulled himself out while the blonde popped the box open. "Heh. It still has the same amount."

"And you can tell from just looking?" Vaughn questioned, reaching out for a bundle of the bills.

Gwen frowned, grabbing the money back and returning it to where it was. "I can't but it doesn't look like it changed at all. So, have some faith in me."

He leered down at her. "I did. Look what happened there."

She snarled, standing up to grab him by his vest. "It wasn't my fault, Vaughn! I didn't do anything wrong!"

He smacked her hands off of him. "Or so you say. Let's just get this done."

Gwen grabbed the box and stormed over to her horse, startling it a bit. Climbing into the saddle, she stared at Vaughn as he stood there, not making a move for his horse. "Aren't you coming?"

"I have to fill this hole up. I'll meet you at the next stop." Gwen hesitated to leave and Vaughn was ready to threaten to shoot her until she rode off. He touched the gun in his holster. The cool touch of it was enough to calm him down and give him an extra boost of confidence. He knew he would have to use it soon. Vaughn just hoped that no causalities would happen. Who was he kidding though? He knew that there would be some, even if just a few.

He finished filling in the hole and packed his things to his horse. His horse shifted uncomfortably under the more weight but followed his owners commands. They had a lot of riding to do if they wanted to catch up with Gwen.

The rest of the night and morning, even clear through the afternoon they were busy working on retrieving what they had earned. While digging up dirt or prying apart wood to grab their money or jewels, they realized how silly it was of them to do this. Gwen did always say they needed a hideout. Vaughn wouldn't admit it, but right now she was right. Too bad they weren't going to be working together long for it to even matter.

The sun had just started to set when they were finally finished. The horses were resting while they divided up the money equally between the two. There were a few arguments here and there about someone getting more than what the other had but it was quickly fixed. They wanted to get this done quickly and to get out while they still could. At this point, stalling for so long and being together was dangerous. It would only be a matter of time for someone to see them and the sheriffs to come strolling up to them. The quicker they were, the better.

"Finally!" Gwen sat back on her hands and stared up at the crimson streaked sky. "It's finally done..." Vaughn nodded but didn't say anything more than that. She paid it no mind though, use to Vaughn being quiet and distant. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways. You with your share and me with mine. Think you'll be alright?"

"Sure. Think I can't handle it?" Vaughn answered, giving her a sideways glance.

She shrugged. "Not at all. I'm just concerned." They sat in silence for a little while longer, taking in their last moments together. Finally, they stood up, almost at the exact same time. Gwen smiled at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, guess this is goodbye."

He tipped his hat towards her. "Take care." They turned their backs on one another and started for their horses. It would be the last time they would ever see each other. It was good that they would end it one a good note. Vaughn wouldn't allow it though. He ripped his gun from his holster and turn, aiming his gun straight for Gwen's back. He never expected for her to do the same thing. She stood there with her gun staring him down, her eyes narrowed in a leer. Although they were aiming at someone they had traveled with for so long, their hands didn't shake. Their guns held still and strong. He sneered at her. "You knew all along?"

She grinned. "Not really. Great minds think alike as they always say."

He snorted. "I guess so. Well, are you goin' to do this the easy way or the hard way? We both know I'm a better short. I'm so close to you, but we both know that it's possible for you to miss me. Myself on the other hand, won't." Vaughn smirked at her as he saw a look of doubt flit across her face. "We know that I won't miss and you'll be dead. So, you can leave your share here and you can leave with your life. It's your choice."

Gwen swallowed around the lump in her throat. She knew he was right. Even if her aim was true, he could kill her before she even pulled the trigger. It wasn't enough to make her back down though. She was going to try, no matter what. "I'll take my chances."

Vaughn snarled. He didn't want this. He wanted her to walk away, leaving the money behind, and ride off into the sunset. Instead, they were doing it the hard way. They had spent so many months together that the idea of shooting her was something he didn't want to do. He would do it though. If it meant getting the rest of the money they had earned, he would do it. "See you in hell when my time comes then."

The seconds counted down in their heads until they finally pulled the trigger...

...and nothing happened.

They stared at their guns, their eyes wide. The guns had jammed. Out of all their years dealing with a gun, it had never happened to them before. Their eyes met and they glared at one another. A million thoughts were going through their heads a mile a minute. They didn't know which one to grab on to first to try and get some solid ground so they could think clearly. The past few months had certainly been a whirlwind for them and they had shared more things then had expected. Over traveling and drinking, stealing left and right with the help of the other, they had never expected to get so close to one another.

Gwen had told him more than she ever told anyone and he partially returned the favor. They had bonded over the stories they told one another. There was a reason why their guns had jammed. They could always give it another try, but they knew that would be playing with fate. Neither one of them wanted to mess with it, not now. They had to let go of their bad habits no matter how hard it may be for one another. Despite the hardships, they had a feeling they could get through it with the other.

They were on each other before their guns even hit the sand.


End file.
